Aceshigh

Or what is the best method used to pull a motor for an engine hoist ??

Just curious where you guys have put your bolts to yank your 350's or 455's.
I have a Performer RPM intake so I'm not sure if I can use the aluminum intake to mount bolts or not.

If anyone has reference pics as to where to put the bolts or plates it would be greatly appreciated.

firefrost gold

I would use the front and back hole's on the head . When I did mine I used a tilter and pulled the intake off first. then used intake bolt hole's in block.
not alot of meat in the intake for all that weight for my liking when that
big girl is swing over your front clip you will breath easier . I also left the tranny on because I was swapping it out too. Tilter worked great did it all by self.

Warhead

X2 but I don't own a tilt unit, it would make it much easier.

Jim

UnkleMarc455

X3, be sure to take off the starter and if it has stock single exhaust you will need to remove the exhaust cross over pipe. I just pulled my 350 combo and left the intake and carb on, the only thing i removed was the distibutor cap due to the tilt pressing it into the fire wall. Triple check all connections and it should be a breeze. Soak the bolts with penetrating oil the day before, just makes it easier on the knuckles

Aceshigh

Yeah engine is so close to the firewall I'm not sure how viable an option that is.

I'll have to look again. Don't want to take the intake off.

rocketraider

There should be a metal loop bolted at the left front of the intake, and if you look at the right rear of the engine, near the transmission flange, you'll see a horizontal hole drilled thru the block back there. Those are the factory engine installation hoist points and should work to pull your engine.

If the metal loop is missing (and after an intake swap it often is), get a piece of stout chain, remove one of the LH front intake bolts, then put the bolt with a suitable size washer thru a chain link and secure it back to the engine to use as a pull and lift point. Run a suitable bolt with washer and nut thru the drill hole at the back of the engine for the other end of the chain.

I would not use one of those carb flange lift blocks on an aluminum intake. The threads are not meant to support the weight of an engine.

442much

My friend and I used an intake plate. Yeah, I was a little nervous.

DSC_6581.jpg

DSC_6582.jpg

Boldsmobile

Ken, we use an intake plate exclusively on our race car.

Took me a while to get use to it.

ksmitty

what if you remove one of rear and opposite front intake bolts that mount intake to heads. replace them with longer bolts washers through chain loop. have slack in the chain to hook the picker to. this would act like the factory loops that once where there. Would this work? remove the carb of course.

MDchanic

Worked fine for me.

- Eric

Aceshigh

Thanks RocketRaider.

This sounds like a fairly straight forward approach.
Smitty was asking me about the loops in the front and back and they're
not on my engine, so I was trying to find a way around this.

What size grade 8 washer thickness do you think would be sufficient to not bend ??
That's roughly 300lbs pressure per bolt and washer it's being pulled against.

I definitely didn't want to support a 600+lb engine via the aluminum intake.

ah64pilot

ACES, the intake plate is cheap ($8) and will support up to 1000lbs. It allows you to rotate or rock the engine to clear the firewall and other things. I wouldn't hesitate to use it...just make sure you buy grade 8 bolts that will fill most of the threading on the carburetor holes while cinching up tightly to the plate. I believe I used 1/2" long bolts on the Edelbrock performer. And the Edelbrock performer has 8 holes for mounting the carb, use the ones that you will NOT use for the carburetor when it's installed.

This method is great, pulling an engine is effortless because of the single attach point of the plate. I used the center hole when I pulled my 455 iron headed engine with all the accessories and brackets with no issues.

JMO, using a chain to go from back right to front left or vice versa makes the engine twist when you lift it making it a struggle to get out with manifolds or starter installed. Now that I've used a carb plate, I won't go back.

Aceshigh

I have to get an engine plate quick though, any suggestions where I can grab one cheap ??
Any places that rent a tilter as well ?? I have a hoist.

I went and did some looking and the aluminum intake will support the engine NO PROBLEM whatsoever.
Here's a great scientific breakdown in post #10 of this thread. It's showing a 1000lb weight which would
still be heavier then even leaving the trans attached still.

http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86598

ksmitty

OK I'm old school and have not been a gear head for the last 20 yrs but getting back into it and having fun doing it. What is an engine tilter and why is it necessary to change a motor. We never used one back 20 yrs ago and I changed plenty of motors back then. I did see at an auto parts store last night an engine leveler is that the same thing? And I always removed headers, trans, starter etc. before removing engine so I had plenty of room without issues.

ah64pilot

Engine tilter = Engine leveler...its the same. And you are correct, they are only really helpful if you are pulling the engine/tranny as a unit. I run 8 quart pans on all of my olds engines which makes the install/removal of the entire unit impossible w/ car on the ground or jack stands because the oil pan hits the frame. I have a "leveler" if anyone wants one...I've never used it.

If you use a carb plate and pull the engine only, you will never need a leveler. Unless you wanna look cool pulling the engine.

ksmitty

looking cool when you get older is always a good thing... LOL... I want to find one of those intake plates to see how it works. It sounds like something that would be useful.

gearheads78

You don't have to use a tree any more either. We have these new things called engine hoists too.


I have tried to use a leveler before and it slowed me down. Its was a piece of crap the the threads kept binding up with the weight of the engine on it. You had to set it down and then adjust it.

UnkleMarc455

That must have been a cheap one, I just used one and was ok I guess i'm still used to the old chain routine. I pulled engine and tranny together and it turned with no problems, didn't have to take the pressure off of it to rotate either. Never tried the intake plate, was kind of scared to put all that weight on the aluminum and have it come crashing down. But from what i have read they can withstand the pressure.

Jamesbo

Now you tell me Richard.

Paddle faster boys, I think I hear banjo music.

Indy_68_S

Similar to what I did. I used 4 ' longer bolt/washer' combos on the furthest 4 corners of the intake & 2 chunks of chain. The hoist I got (used for $100) came with the leveler, so I used it. Front chain loop to front leveler hook & rear-to-rear.

I pulled the engine and trans together and the leveler helped, but if the doghouse was still on the car, it would've been better if I'd used a rear mount point further back on the motor/trans to help with tipping it. Oh & I greased the leveler threads and ran it back & forth prior to lifting...

If only I'd remembered to drain the trans first....

firefrost gold

i left the tail shaft in and pulled the drive shaft u joints. i would not trust 4 1/4 inch bolts to swing my moter around some of the 1000 lbs stands need front brace to keep them steady if it is a edelbrock intake is it worth the chance of tearing a thread up ?
Pull the intake and the choices are unlimited 10 minuets to pull it jmo

MDchanic

That's okay... I'm sure it drained just fine .

- Eric

Dragonist

When I pulled my motor at the junk yard I used a seat belt, motor came out with no problems.

380 Racer

No offense but I have used an intake plate to pull/install motors for years. Both SBs and BBs. I prefer to not have trannys bolted to them. My 380 and 425 were both about as heavy as a BB with the block filled. The four 5/16 bolts are only grade 5, but are threaded into the aluminum intake with plenty of threads. NEVER had a problem.

Boldsmobile

^x2

As i posted earlier we only use a plate on the race car - never a chain or a tilt thing.

Probably have the motor in and out 4-5 times a year and it's fine. We do it both with and without the transmission attached.